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Follansbee will honor local veterans with banners

HONORED — Jim Mirasola of Follansbee holds a banner bearing a photo of him as a young soldier during the 1950s, one of 68 depicting local veterans that will be flown along Main Street, Follansbee, in their honor. With Mirasola are his wife, Mary Lou; and daughter, Judy Conforti. -- Warren Scott

FOLLANSBEE — The many drivers who travel state Route 2 in Follansbee soon will be reminded of local men and women, living and dead, who served their country, in wartime and peace, over the years.

That’s because city crews will be hanging banners depicting banners featuring the photos of 68 veterans from streetlights and telephone poles along the section of highway, which is Follansbee’s Main Street.

Families who sponsored the banners and in a few cases, the veterans they honor, were able to get a close look at them during a presentation Monday at the Follansbee Community House.

City Manager John DeStefano’s announcement of each veteran was met by applause from the many who filled the hall and Mayor David Velegol Jr. presented a certificate to each veteran or family, encouraging them to pose for photos with the banners.

“We figured this would be better than families trying to take photos of the banners while they were flying,” he said.

Velegol and DeStefano said it also was a way to thank the families of veterans for supporting the endeavor.

The occasion was an emotional time, with some tears mixed in with smiles.

For Army veteran Jim Mirasola, it was a big surprise.

Mirasola said he didn’t expect a banner honoring himself but is pleased the city has sought to recognized its veterans in that way.

The former councilman and city clerk said he served from 1957 to 1959, just after the Korean War, and worked as a clerk for an adjutant general.

“I was drafted but happy to go,” said Mirasola, who looks upon the experience as an overall positive time when he met many people and saw much of the midwest, including Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak.

Another veteran featured on a banner is William Chiodo, who served in the Navy during World War II.

Chiodo said he performed various duties — from serving as watchman on a gun turret to maintaining the ship’s gear locker and library, while aboard the USS Medusa, a ship charged with repairing ships damaged in battle.

“When any ship got torpedoed, we went there,” he said, adding large steel plates were used to patch the vessels.

That doesn’t mean the Medusa was never in harm’s way, as its missions included supporting aircraft carriers that attacked the enemy from the Sea of Japan.

Discharged as a seaman first class, Chiodo said he was among 800 sailors aboard the Medusa, which was two blocks long.

Among many veterans honored by the banners is Mario A. Boni, who was killed in action on June 22, 1944, while serving in the Army during World War II.

Mario P. Boni, said little is known about his uncle’s death, only that he was part of the Normandy Invasion and died in combat days later.

He is among 9,389 American servicemen buried at the Normandy American Cemetery in France.

DeStefano said at least 25 other families of veterans, either current or former Follansbee residents, have expressed interest in sponsoring future banners when those are retired after being displayed for two years.

Velegol said upon their retirement, the banners will be given to the families, who paid $60 to sponsor each of them.

“That includes the banner and cost for shipping and handling. The city receives no money from them,” he said.

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